Hungry?

Loading Comments...

Fast-forward to Thanksgiving. Your family is gathered ’round, expectations sky-high and stomachs rumbling. You’ve poured a bucket of sweat into a spectacular meal and…what’s that? You’re going to turn around and serve it on a buck-naked table? Don’t do that. And especially don’t do that if it’s because you think table linens are musty, fussy, octogenarian affairs.

Yes, heavy white tablecloths have mostly gone the way of Baked Alaska. But in their place are a host of nature-inspired burlaps, hip batiks, splashy patterns, and playful “chalkboards.” If that’s still too blue for your blood, consider the tablecloth’s cooler, less formal little sister: the table runner. Scattered with flowering branches and tea lights, it says, “Hey, man, I care—but not so much that I’m going to make this meal stiff and uncomfortable.”